Monday, January 07, 2013

Notre Dame and Penn State: Two rape scandals, only one cry for justice

At Penn State, revered assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was raping young boys while being shielded by a conspiracy of silence of those in power at the football powerhouse. At Notre Dame, it's not young boys being raped by an assistant coach. It's women being threatened, assaulted, and raped by players on the school's unbeaten football team. Yet a sports media that's overwhelmingly male and ineffably giddy about Fighting Irish football’s return to prominence has enacted their own conspiracy of silence.

As unbeaten Notre Dame prepares to play in tonight’s national championship game against Alabama, the sports media has chosen not to discuss the fact that this football team has two players on its rostersuspected of sexual assault and rape; two players whose crimes have been ignored; two players whose accusers felt harassed and intimidated; two players whose presence on the field Monday night should be seen as a national disgrace.

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At Penn State, revered assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was raping young boys while being shielded by a conspiracy of silence of those in power at the football powerhouse. At Notre Dame, it's not young boys being raped by an assistant coach. It's women being threatened, assaulted, and raped by players on the school's unbeaten football team. Yet a sports media that's overwhelmingly male and ineffably giddy about Fighting Irish football’s return to prominence has enacted their own conspiracy of silence.

As unbeaten Notre Dame prepares to play in tonight’s national championship game against Alabama, the sports media has chosen not to discuss the fact that this football team has two players on its rostersuspected of sexual assault and rape; two players whose crimes have been ignored; two players whose accusers felt harassed and intimidated; two players whose presence on the field Monday night should be seen as a national disgrace.